In conventional character-selecting mechanisms utilized in printers, a character on a printing type ring must be brought to a printing position. As part of this operation an electromagnet is activated by a current pulse to attract a plate connected to a trigger ring device which functions through engagement of a pawl with a ratchet, usually a rotating ratchet wheel.
Since the plate, in standby state, must be disengaged from the electromagnet, there must be a gap therebetween, such a gap necessitating the use of a relatively large electromagnet requiring a relatively large current to establish a sufficiently strong magnetic field to attract the plate across the gap between the electromagnet and the plate. This type of construction, consequently, results in undesirably high power consumption for operation and undesirable weight as well as production of noise during operation. As is evident, then, it would be desirable to provide a character-selecting mechanism which is low in weight, power-consumption, noise-production as well as in cost.